Award Data

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop targeted nanoparticle delivery systems capable of delivering conventional cytotoxics preferentially to tumor cells. While therapeutic nanoparticles have been introduced into clinical practice (Abraxane(TM) and Doxil(TM)) and others are in development, none have been developed that show tumor target specificity (as opposed to inc ...

Quantifying oceanic CO2 uptake and ocean acidification and understanding their impact on global climate and ocean ecology are key goals of NOAA’s climate change research programs. NOAA’s request for Development of a long-term Lagrangian pH and pCO2 drifter (SBIR Subtopic 8.3.1C) aims to address these goals by developing technology that measures both pCO2 and pH that can be widely deployed in t ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop fungal bioinsecticides for control of bark beetles in forestry. Bark beetles are difficult to control. With a life cycle mostly under tree bark, exposure to insecticides is limited to the short period when adults search for new host trees. Control of mountain pine beetle (MPB), one of the most damaging species, is ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will adapt a photonics based signal processor to propel applications in extreme bandwidth spread-spectrum wireless communications. The signal processor prototype known as the spatial spectral holographic (S2H) extreme bandwidth analyzer / correlator (EBAC) will function as a correlating receiver for low probability of intercept (cover ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project proposes a fundamentally new means for biogas/landfill gas desulfurization that produces negligible waste, allows for sulfur recovery/recycling, and provides annualized operating costs that are fraction of current practice. The proposed process consists of two synergistic components: a novel oxidative sulfur removal (OSR) catalytic reactor t ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will perfect a proprietary batch-scale processing technique for fabricating ultrahard and ultrasharp atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips. The new process involves two steps. First, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is used to coat the tips with a chemically inert, highly conductive, and extremely hard material. Second, a patented process ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to replace Cu on-chip interconnects with a graphene technology. Nanoscale Cu interconnects that make electrical connections to active devices, mainly transistors, are an essential component of nearly all semiconductor chips. In Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Integrated Circuits (ICs), this Cu interconnect fabric is ap ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project advances a novel method to fabricate 3D IC interconnects. Physical and economical limitations for 2D scaling (Moore's Law) prevents further increase of integration density to improve the performance of integrated circuits (IC). These challenges have stimulated the development of 3D through-silicon via (TSV) technology (so called 'Mo ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will address the three major factors currently limiting the global production of bamboo fibers for composites. First, all natural fibers absorb water from the air and direct contact from the environment. Second, the strength of natural fiber composites is less than that of composites reinforced with glass fibers. Part of this reduced strength ...

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is recognized as the gold standard in noncontact characterization of the refractive index and thickness of a thin optical film or film stack on a substrate. However, it suffers from a number of shortcomings, perhaps the most important of which is the time required to perform a single measurement. Moreover, manufacturers are interested in comprehensive evaluation of thin ...